Federal lawmakers have increased the National Assembly’s budget from the proposed N197.93 billion by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to N344.48 billion. This approved budget exceeds the combined budgets of the 15 largest federal universities in the country, which total N327.8 billion for the year 2024.
Despite having fewer lawmakers and staff with fewer capital projects, the National Assembly will spend significantly more than eight teaching hospitals, comprising over one million staff and student-doctors.
The Senate and House of Representatives lawmakers passed the Federal Government budget on Saturday, increasing it from the president’s proposed N27.5 trillion to N28.7 trillion, a difference of about N1.2 trillion.
This development unfolds amid the economic challenges faced by many Nigerians due to the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
In the budget, the eight teaching hospitals are allocated just N190.8 billion, approximately N154 billion less than the N344.48 billion budgeted for the National Assembly in 2024.
Notable allocations include Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) in Nnewi with N37.6 billion, University College Hospital in Ibadan with N27.2 billion, and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu with N25.6 billion.
Others are Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospitals (AKUTH), Kano:N20.5bn, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ife:N19.9bn, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) Port Harcourt:N19.8bn and University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin:N19.6bn.
Similarly, the cumulative budget of fifteen federal universities, totaling N327.8 billion for capital and recurrent expenditures in 2024, is lower than that of the National Assembly.
According to the document seen in the Budget Office, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has a total budget ofN36.6bn, University of Calabar:N29.5bn, Ahmadu Bello University:N29.2bn and Nnamdi Azikiwe University:N26.3bn.
Others include: University of Benin:N24.2bn, University of Ibadan:N23.4bn, University of Maiduguri:N22.3bn, University of Port Harcourt:N19.6bn, University of Lagos:N19.4bn, Obafemi Awolowo University:N17.1bn, Bayero University:N17bn, University of Tech, Owerri:N16.8bn, University of Jos:N16.2bn, University of Uyo:N15.6bn and National Open University:N14.6bn.
Despite calls from non-governmental organizations urging the federal government and the National Assembly to increase the budgetary allocation to the education sector, the proposed budget for education in 2024 is less than seven percent, falling short of UNESCO’s recommended 15 to 20 percent of the annual budget for the education sector.
Ada Peter
